Program Overview

BS in Public Health

The Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree from UIC requires students to complete university and school degree requirements. The university and school degree requirements for all Bachelor of Science in Public Health students are outlined below.

Degree Requirements

To earn the Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree, students need to complete the following requirements:

• Prerequisite Courses: 25-26 hours
• Additional General Education Requirements: 11 hours
• Major Course Requirements in Public Health: 35 hours
• Selectives and Electives: 48-49 hours
• Total Hours: 120

Prerequisite Courses

The prerequisite courses for the BS in Public Health program are:

• ENGL 160: Academic Writing I: Writing in Academic and Public Contexts (3 hours)
• ENGL 161: Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research (3 hours)
• Quantitative Reasoning Course (4-5 hours)
• PUBH 100: Health and the Public (3 hours)
• PUBH 105: Foundations for Public Health (2 hours)
• PUBH 110: Public Health and Global Societies (3 hours)
• PUBH 120: Public Health and the Study of Disease and Epidemics (3 hours)
• Analyzing the Natural World - Life Science course with a lab (4 hours)
  • BIOS 110: Biology of Cells and Organisms
  • BIOS 120: Biology of Populations and Communities
• Total Hours: 25-26

Additional General Education Requirements

The additional general education requirements for the BS in Public Health program are:

• Understanding the Past course (3 hours)
• Understanding the Creative Arts course (3 hours)
• Select an additional course in at least one of the following General Education categories (3 hours)
  • Exploring World Cultures
  • Understanding U.S. Society
  • Understanding the Individual and Society
• Additional General Education course(s) from any category, as necessary to total 24 hours of General Education credit (2 hours)
• Total Hours: 11

Major Course Requirements in Public Health

The major course requirements for the BS in Public Health program are:

• PUBH 300: Critical Thinking in Public Health (4 hours)
• PUBH 301: Critical Thinking in Public Health II (2 hours)
• PUBH 310: Public Health and Global Citizenship (3 hours)
• PUBH 320: Ecologies of Health and Modern Life (3 hours)
• PUBH 330: Health Equity and Health Disparities (3 hours)
• PUBH 340: Health Literacy (3 hours)
• PUBH 350: Health Systems, Health Policy (3 hours)
• PUBH 360: Local Citizenship and Community Health Initiatives (4 hours)
• PUBH 370: Using the Public Health Toolbox (3 hours)
• PUBH 395: Professional Topics Seminar (0 hours)
• PUBH 397: Baccalaureate Project in Public Health (3 hours)
• PUBH 410: Historical and Contemporary Public Health Challenges I (2 hours)
• PUBH 411: Historical and Contemporary Public Health Challenges II (2 hours)
• Total Hours: 35

Selectives and Electives

The selectives and electives for the BS in Public Health program are:

• Public Health Selectives and Electives (18 hours)
• Free Electives (30-31 hours)
• Total Hours: 48-49

Sample Major Course Schedule

A sample major course schedule for the BS in Public Health program is provided below:

Junior Year

• Fall Semester:
  • PUBH 300: Critical Thinking in Public Health (4 hours)
  • PUBH 330: Health Equity and Health Disparities (3 hours)
  • PUBH 350: Health Systems, Health Policy (3 hours)
  • PUBH 395: Professional Topics Seminar (0 hours)
  • Free electives (6 hours)
  • Total Hours: 16
• Spring Semester:
  • PUBH 301: Critical Thinking in Public Health II (2 hours)
  • PUBH 320: Ecologies of Health and Modern Life (3 hours)
  • PUBH 340: Health Literacy (3 hours)
  • PUBH 360: Local Citizenship and Community Health Initiatives (4 hours)
  • PUBH 395: Professional Topics Seminar (0 hours)
  • Public Health elective (3 hours)
  • Total Hours: 15

Senior Year

• Fall Semester:
  • PUBH 310: Public Health and Global Citizenship (3 hours)
  • PUBH 370: Using the Public Health Toolbox (3 hours)
  • PUBH 410: Historical and Contemporary Public Health Challenges I (2 hours)
  • Public Health selective (3 hours)
  • Public Health selective (3 hours)
  • Total Hours: 14
• Spring Semester:
  • PUBH 397: Baccalaureate Project in Public Health (3 hours)
  • PUBH 411: Historical and Contemporary Public Health Challenges II (2 hours)
  • Public Health selective (3 hours)
  • Public Health selective (3 hours)
  • Public Health selective (3 hours)
  • Free elective (1 hour)
  • Total Hours: 15
• Total Hours: 60